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The Redford Center, one of the few U.S.-based nonprofits dedicated solely to environmental impact filmmaking, has selected 13 films to receive funding, marking a significant expansion of the organization’s grants program with an increase in the number of projects and funding amount.

The international cohort of films, selected for “high impact potential and unique solutions-based themes,” will each receive $25k to support the completion of the projects and to advance their impact efforts and goals.

The Redford Center received more than 500 applications from 67 countries, marking the most expansive and globally diverse open call in the org’s history, demonstrating, it said, the overwhelming presence of impact-driven independent films and the striking gap of funding and support currently offered by the film industry.

The Center was established in direct response to a lack of support available and is a central pillar of work that the Redford Center’s late...

The Gotham, Filmmaker‘s publisher, announced today the projects and creators accepted into the 2024 Gotham Week Project Market, which takes place in Brooklyn and Manhattan September 30 – October 4. A long-running program of The Gotham, the Project Market introduces projects in development seeking financing or distribution to industry partners, including producers, sales agents and distributors. It returns this year following last year’s break due to the ongoing Writers Guild strikes with 112 projects spanning feature films, documentary and television. Among the projects are Buffalo Stone, which Lily Gladstone co-wrote and produced, with co-writer-directors Daniel Glick and Ivy Macdonald and […]

The post The Gotham Announces 2024 Project Market Slate first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

The Gotham, Filmmaker‘s publisher, announced today the projects and creators accepted into the 2024 Gotham Week Project Market, which takes place in Brooklyn and Manhattan September 30 – October 4. A long-running program of The Gotham, the Project Market introduces projects in development seeking financing or distribution to industry partners, including producers, sales agents and distributors. It returns this year following last year’s break due to the ongoing Writers Guild strikes with 112 projects spanning feature films, documentary and television. Among the projects are Buffalo Stone, which Lily Gladstone co-wrote and produced, with co-writer-directors Daniel Glick and Ivy Macdonald and […]

The post The Gotham Announces 2024 Project Market Slate first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Exclusive: The Gotham on Wednesday unveiled the programming you can expect from this year’s edition of Gotham Week, taking place in Brooklyn and Manhattan from September 30 – October 4.

Gotham Week will feature the third-annual Gotham Week Expo and a reimagined Project Market, which will showcase narrative and documentary features, as well as additional projects through the Global Producers Hub. Additionally, previously announced Series Creators to Watch and Branded Storytellers to Watch will be highlighted, with assorted filmmaker conversations and screenings to be presented.

The Gotham’s Project Market is described as a meetings-driven forum connecting new fiction and documentary projects in development with key industry executives interested in identifying projects for development, financing, or distribution. The market will feature sections including Features in Development, Shorts to Features, Spotlight on Documentaries, and Global Producers Hub, each highlighting a wide range of established and rising voices in film and media.

This year,...

Following her Oscar-nominated role in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Lily Gladstone is narrating and executive producing a new documentary titled “Bring Them Home,” about a Blackfeet initiative to bring buffalo back to the wild and reclaim centuries of Indigenous tradition.

Directed by Blackfeet brother-sister duo Ivan MacDonald and Ivy MacDonald, as well as Daniel Glick, the 85-minute feature will premiere at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival on Feb. 24. The screening will take place at 6 p.m. and is sponsored by The Nature Conservatory.

“Bring Them Home” follows a decades-long effort by members of the “Blackfoot Confederacy” to bring buffalo back to the Blackfeet Reservation. The film examines the role the buffalo, or “iinnii,” played in Blackfeet life before settlers killed millions of the species in an attempt to eradicate the tribe.

“For Blackfeet, the buffalo are seen not only as fundamental to a healthy ecosystem, but as spiritual relatives,...

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Amid a climate crisis that is seeing record heat temperatures broken around the globe, The Redford Center has announced the 12 filmmaking teams who are winners of its Environmental Impact Film grants for 2022-2023. The center — the environmental media nonprofit founded in 2005 by Robert Redford and his late son James Redford — provides funding biannually to a select group of cinematic storytellers who focus on environmental justice, intersectional themes and solutions that improve the health of the planet.

“We view these artists as translators: humanizing the issues we so urgently need to address and giving voice to the frontline activists who are continually overlooked by the mainstream film and environmental sectors and who, quite frankly, are leading us out of the problem,” Jill Tidman, executive director of The Redford Center, tells The Hollywood Reporter of the winning teams, noting that the center is one of...

Gay-hate crime documentary Killing Off the Beat has launched a crowdfunding campaign in a bid to investigate a dark period in Sydney's history.

The film, written and produced by Serkan Ozturk, will attempt to unravel a part of Sydney.s recent history that saw men fall prey to .gay-hate killings., assaults and bashings at gay beats..

Ozturk said of the deaths were not properly investigated by police at the time and were classified mostly as "suicide" despite links between a large number of the incidents to anti-gay violence.

Spanning a period between the first Mardi Gras in 1978 to the present day, the independent film will focus on a number of key threads to build community and political pressure for a Royal Commission or another independent high-level body to look at historical gay-hate killings.

It will also look at past and current-day cases of alleged police brutality, according to Ozturk.

"We...

The 5th Annual Napa Valley Film Festival (Nvff), scheduled to take place November 11-15, has announced its Narrative and Documentary feature film line-ups for juried competition. The complete program of approximately 125 films, including special presentations, sneak previews of award season contenders, narrative and documentary shorts, and short features, as well as jury members, will be announced soon.

Directors of the Narrative and Documentary feature films in competition will participate in Nvff’s unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors will stay at the luxury resort for six nights during the festival and are treated to special events and workshops with their competition group and industry mentors. Meadowood Napa Valley will also award $10,000 to the winning filmmakers in both the Narrative and Documentary competition categories at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 15.

“We experienced nearly a 50% jump in submissions this year, making it just that much more difficult to whittle down to our 10 narrative and 10 documentary feature films for our core competition,” said Nvff Executive & Artistic Director Marc Lhormer. “We look forward to sharing these compelling real and imagined stories with our audiences in November, and to supporting these innovative filmmakers and getting to know them during their tenure with us as Artists-in-Residence at Meadowood."

Nvff has also announced that former USA Today Chief Film Critic Claudia Puig will be joining the festival team. She will serve as a consulting programming director and industry liaison for the balance of 2015, and then take on full responsibilities of program director at the beginning of the 2016 festival planning cycle.

“After 15 years as a film critic, I became increasingly intrigued by the film festival world and what makes compelling film programming,” said Puig. “Some of the best and most original movies I’ve seen have made their debut at film festivals. Joining the Napa staff is especially exciting - only in its fifth year, the Napa Valley Film Festival is growing by leaps and bounds with its ambitious, forward-thinking and innovative programming, panels and events. The combination of film, wine and a gorgeous location made this an easy choice for my new career path, and I look forward to working with Marc, Brenda and the entire Nvff team.”

Narrative Competition Section

Films in the Narrative competition section feature actors Alexis Bledel, Jamie Chung, Eliza Dushku, Lyndsy Fonseca, Bryan Greenberg, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Jordan, Josh McDermitt, Kal Penn and Jason Sudeikis, among others. The 10 films selected include:

"Astraea" – When humanity is mysteriously wiped out, clairvoyant 14 year-old Astraea is led by her older brother through the snowy landscapes of a post-apocalyptic America. Astraea chronicles their trek to find and connect with other survivors along the way to the far northeast where their parents are believed to still be alive. Directed by Kristjan Thor.

"Honeyglue" – Morgan seeks out a new perspective and lifestyle after receiving a severe life-threatening medical diagnosis. After meeting Jordan, an artist whose avenues for personal expression far transcend her conservative and stale world, the two spend her last months on an adventurous journey of self-discovery. Directed by James Bird.

"It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong" – After a chance encounter in Hong Kong during which an ex-pat and a tourist seem to strike a romantic spark, Ruby and Josh are blessed with an equally coincidental second date. Unfortunately, the two seem to have found the perfect connections at the most inopportune times. Starring Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung. Directed by Emily Ting.

"Jane Wants a Boyfriend" – Jane, an aspiring costume designer on the autism spectrum, recruits her sister to help her find her first boyfriend. As she challenges the obstacles of her daily life in seeking a romantic connection, often failing, she also shows those closest to her that everyone deserves a chance at love. Starring Eliza Dushku. Directed by William Sullivan.

"Life in Color" – Mary, a failed nanny, and Homer, a floundering comedian, grapple with the harsh realities that preclude them from the success that appears to come so easily to others. The unlikely duo realizes that they can overcome their lack of home, job and purpose if they face defeat together. Starring Josh McDermitt and Katharine Emmer. Directed by Katharine Emmer.

"Lola’s Last Letter" – While completing her community service, a young woman continues to deal with the emotional trauma left over by the mistake that sent her to prison. As Lola’s camera captures details of her daily routine, the reason behind her resistance to moving on is revealed. Starring Valerie Brandy. Directed by Valerie Brandy.

"Moments of Clarity" – Two unlikely friends, Claire and Danielle, elude their protective parents and embark on a quest to repair an antique camera. A series of events lead to their adventure extending beyond their original plans, ultimately helping them both to better understand the worlds from which they had seemingly escaped. Starring Lyndsy Fonseca and Kristin Wallace. Directed by Stev Elam.

"Outliving Emily" – Twelve diverse actors portray the various stages of Tim and Emily’s anthologized marriage. Each pair uniquely captures the notable highs and lows that take place throughout the span of a life-long relationship, making their story highly relatable to couples everywhere. Starring Alexis Bledel, Zosia Mamet, Thomas Mann, Kal Penn, Jeremy Jordan, Phylicia Rashad and many more. Directed by Eric Weber and Sean Devaney.

"The King of New Orleans" – Larry’s story is chronicled from the passenger seat of his taxi cab. His regular commuters and new riders represent the various walks of life in the faded and haunted beauty of New Orleans. The compelling bond he creates with travelers and locals alike is forever changed by the heartbreaking effects of Hurricane Katrina. Directed by Allen Frederic.

"Tumbledown"– Hannah, the widow of an acclaimed folk musician, engages a New York professor to assist her in writing her late husband’s biography. Her emotions are thrown for a loop when he begins investigating the circumstances surrounding the untimely death. Starring Rebecca Hall and Jason Sudeikis. Directed by Sean Mewshaw.

Documentary Competition Section

"A Place to Stand" – Jimmy Santiago Baca was a seventeen-year-old petty thief and drug dealer when he was sentenced to five years in Arizona State Prison, one of the deadliest prisons in America. Baca began his incarceration violent, angry and illiterate. Against all odds, he taught himself how to read and write, discovering a passion for poetry that ultimately saved his life. Directed by Daniel Glick.

"Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play" – Based on the book by anthropologist John Fox, “The Ball: Discovering the Object of the Game,” Bounce takes us to the far reaches of the globe and the deep recesses of our ancient past to answer the question: why do we play ball? Equal parts science, history and visual essay, the film follows the bouncing ball from animal play through professional sports to video games, exploring why we play and what play says about who we are and where we are going as a civilization. Directed by Jerome Thelia.

"Code: Debugging the Gap" –Code asks the questions: why is there a dearth of female and minority software engineers, what would society gain from having more women and people of color coding, and how do we get there? Code highlights breakthrough efforts that are producing a more diverse set of computer programmers. Directed by Robin Hauser Reynolds.

"King Georges"– Fiery French chef Georges Perrier is on a crusade to save his world-renowned 40-year-old Philadelphia restaurant, Le Bec-Fin, from closing. Times and tastes have changed – what was once cutting edge is now out of favor. "King Georges" is the story of a determined, tragi-comic figure, and his fight to keep culinary traditions alive. Directed by Erika Frankel.

"Life Under Siege: Exploring Gaza’s Secret Tunnels" – "Life Under Siege" is the story of a U.S.-Palestinian family divided by the siege on the Gaza Strip, and reunited under the cloak of the Arab Spring. Director Miriam Abu Sharkh’s travels to Gaza investigates the smuggling tunnels to Egypt, and attempts to forge relationships with her father and half siblings, whom she is only able to visit by result of monumental social movements. Directed by Miriam Abu Sharkh.

"Right Footed" – Despite being born without arms, Jessica Cox overcame both physical and emotional challenges to become fully independent. She learned to type with her toes, drive a car with her feet, and amazingly, fly an airplane. "Right Footed" follows Jessica as she transforms from a motivational speaker to a mentor, and eventually into a leading advocate for people with disability. Directed by Nick Spark.

"Romeo is Bleeding" – Donte Clark’s poetic voice was honed on the violent street corners of his struggling city of Richmond, California. Rather than succumb to the everyday pressures to just survive, Clark uses his artistic perspective – and a good dose of inspiration from the Bard – to create a personalized production of Romeo & Juliet as one man’s attempt to save his city from itself. Directed by Jason Zeldes.

"Since: The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103" – When a terrorist-planted bomb destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988, 270 lives were ended and a heartbreaking new reality for thousands of relatives begun. Since follows the victims’ families on a 23-year quest for justice and the truth. Directed by Phil Furey.

"The Family Next Door" – He was the star Yale football player who went on to become an attorney. She was the beautiful cheerleader who became a loving, caring teacher. Their genes were perfect to start a dream family. Four children and seventeen years later, they are the family that no one wants to be: the family affected by autism, with drastically altered expectations, and yet with patience, grace, determination and unconditional love. Directed by Michael Messner and Barry Reese.

"The Uncondemned" – In 1997, a mismatched group of underdog lawyers embarked on a quixotic quest to have rape classified as an international war crime for the first time. "The Uncondemned" is the story of their fight for the first conviction and the story of the heroic Rwandan women who risked a wave of witness assassinations to testify.